SOCS-3 stimulates proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in prostate cancer cells which do not express the androgen receptor. It may also antagonize the effects of fibroblasts growth factor and mitogen-activated protein kinases. In androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells, SOCS-3 is induced by androgen and may inhibit androgen-stimulated proliferation and secretion.

Type 2 diabetes impairs insulin receptor substrate-2-mediated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity in primary macrophages to induce a state of cytokine resistance to IL-4 in association with overexpression of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3.